Strength
by Arcynic
Summary: An afternoon chat between the itako and her future brother in law [Oneshot]


.:slight spoiler warning for the end of the anime:.  
  
"Asakura Hao...I thought you were dead." The longhaired brunette in question peered down from the tree branch that he was resting on into the face of his future sister in law, Kyouyama Anna, the itako*.  
  
"Well hello there, wonderful morning isn't it?" He asked, completely disregarding the fact that his dear future sister in law seemed to have no manners in the art of starting a conversation. It was indeed a fine afternoon, with a cloudless screen of blue above. Not one to continue with such pleasantries, however, the blonde itako simply glared at Hao, earning herself a cheeky grin in return.  
  
"Ha...do you truly believe that Yoh could actually kill someone?" He asked, amusement written on his face, "Or rather, would?" Their eyes locked, Hao's still in amusement and Anna's now somewhat contemplative.  
  
She shrugged, "You're right, he's not you."  
  
Needless to say, the itako possessed a harsh tongue and quick wit that could sting even the owner of the great spirit of fire. Her words had a dual meaning, aside from the fact that Hao had killed dozens, maybe even hundreds, he thought with a slightly crazed grin. But she was also referring to his former belief that Yoh was his other half and therefore, they were one and the same. The former might have been true, but the latter definitely was not as his brother had proven to him that fateful day. He and Yoh were 2 very different people, almost polar opposites in fact...it was the first time that Hao had ever been wrong.  
  
Oh...the itako and her future brother in law were completely matched in intellect. She may have been the only one in the world who could express such provocative thoughts in one simple statement...and he may have been the only one in the world to understand the entirety of it. But her future brother in law did have one last trump card on the itako; he was the better actor.  
  
Sliding on his poker face, a simple grin that usually infuriated her, Hao swung his legs over the edge of the branch and asked, "So how is the great shaman king?"  
  
"Yoh is... Yoh." She responded blandly. But he understood, as she knew he probably would. Yoh was Yoh and Yoh will always be Yoh... nothing could ever change his easygoing attitude, not even the most powerful title on Earth, because Yoh knew who he was and he never forgot it. He was... Yoh.  
  
Hao let his poker face crack just a bit, frowning slightly. He slowly began to swing his dangling legs back and forth off the branch, much as a child might. If she acknowledged his unusual demeanor, she didn't show it. An odd silence was placed upon them, disrupted only by the swishing of Hao's old tattered cloak in the gentle autumn breeze.  
  
"...I would have made this world a better place." Anna's eyes traveled to her longhaired companion as he suddenly broke their silence. His eyes were wistful, a melancholy smile making him seem far older that he was... in his physical body anyway.  
  
"A perfect race of strong shamans... after those weak humans and shamans were purged from this world."  
  
"And then?" Hao blinked, completely unprepared for such a simple question... and then... what?  
  
As if reading his thoughts, which he considered to be a fairly reasonable assumption, Anna explained impatiently, "And then after you kill off all of the humans and the weak shamans. What happens next?" He never truly thought past the destruction of humankind...but now that the question presented itself... or rather... was presented by Anna...  
  
Hao had no time to reflect on the issue himself before Anna spoke again, "Would that not make the weaker of the strong shamans left the weakest ones left on Earth? Would you then kill them too?"  
  
"...I..."  
  
"And then the next weakest shamans and then the next? Would it just be a chain reaction until you are the only one left? The strongest shaman on Earth...as well as the weakest..."  
  
"What do you mean?" He looked downright indignant, mask completely shed, at having been called weak in any possible way or form...even hypothetically.  
  
Anna, however, remained calm as she gazed at him levelly, "With no one to measure your strength against... with no one left in the whole world... you would be everything... strong and weak...or...would you be nothing...? Like the light and dark and happiness and sadness, strength cannot live without weakness... they must coexist with each other...and if one happened to perish...then the other would as well. You would either live the rest of your days alone or end up committing suicide."  
  
With an air of weariness, Hao settled back into the position he was in before his future sister in law had disturbed his rest, with his whole body laid out upon the tree branch and his head against the trunk. "Did you come here just to mock me...?" He asked, closing his eyes resignedly, "I know for a fact that you live on the other side of town and would never travel such a distance even if you wanted something here...you'd make Yoh go get it for you."  
  
Without saying a word, Anna tossed a bundle up at him. He caught it deftly without having to open his eyes. Even with more than half of his true power depleted from the Shaman fight, Hao's athletic prowess remained intact it seemed. He did, however, have to open his eyes to see what it was that she threw up at him.  
  
"...A bento**?" Hao asked, looking at Anna curiously.  
  
"Yoh made it. He asked me to give it to you." Was her stiff response.  
  
"You said you thought I was dead." Hao replied, perplexed, even more so by the fact that Anna had actually complied with Yoh's request.  
  
"He once bought a shaved ice for his spirit.***" She shrugged and without so much as a goodbye, turned to walk away.  
  
He stared at the bento thoughtfully before whispering, "...It's a weakness...to have to rely on others..."  
  
The itako stopped without turning to him, "It is a strength to have someone who cares for you that much." And once again, she was off, red bandana fluttering in the crisp autumn air. He watched her leave until she was but a speck in the distance, but she never once looked back. She was, perhaps, the only one who could challenge his dreams with logical reasoning and well placed hypothetical questions...and be right. Hao shook his head, a slight smile on his face as he turned back to the parcel in his lap.  
  
"Kyouyama Anna..." He mused as he broke his chopsticks apart and prepared to dig into his bento, "truly a bride worthy of the shaman king."  
  
_____________________________  
  
*spiritualistic medium...though I'm sure most of you know that  
  
**a lunchbox basically  
  
***I think this happens way early in the anime and manga...before Anna even comes  
  
Ehh...so was it all right? I'm only on episode 48 of Shaman King so I'm not quite sure exactly how it ends (though I have read some spoilers). It's also my first time writing Hao...I blame any ooc-ness to the time span...which is a few years or so after the shaman fight has ended. And hey, if you saw some almost non-existent HaoxAnna hintings...it was not a trick of the light! I am a HaoxAnna fan...but only one-sided... I'm too much of A Yona fangirl to ever write a true Hana fic I think. Anyway, if you enjoyed it and even if you didn't, please review!  
  
Oh! And I also have a deviantart account! I have some Shaman King stuff up (as well as fanart from other animes/mangas and some originals...) There's not too much up yet but I'm working on it. If you're interested, pop by my author's profile for the link. (After reviewing of course...) ^ ^ 


End file.
